Conventional vehicle front end design and construction typically relies on independent locating, support, and attachment features for vehicle front end components during the assembly process. This is particularly true for the visible exterior, or skin, components such as headlamp assemblies, grilles, and fascia. This individualized approach is intended to ensure the aesthetic look of the exterior of the front end assembly which is known to be of significant importance to the customer.
Given the importance of the aesthetic look of the front end assembly, manufacturers expend significant effort through tooling, fixtures, and manpower to establish consistent gap widths particularly between the visible skin components. Headlight assembly installation, for example, is discrete and designed to establish a consistent gap width and flushness between the headlight assembly and related fender. In other words, locating, supporting, and attaching of the headlight assemblies occurs in more or less one sequence, either before or after another front end component.
Traditionally, the headlight assemblies are attached to the vehicle body relative already secured fenders so as to establish consistent gap widths therebetween and flushness relative the fenders. Such consistency and flushness is expected and suggests quality craftsmanship to the customer. Once attached, the headlight assemblies are no longer adjustable. Thus, the subsequent attachment of another skin component (e.g., the radiator grille) is likewise discreetly accomplished. The grille is positioned between the headlight assemblies and attached to the vehicle body such that the gap widths between each headlight assembly and the grille are the same width. Given the fixed locations of the headlight assemblies, the ability to establish such consistent gap widths, however, is limited. Ultimately, the grille is positioned to establish the most consistent gap widths and flushness possible given the fixed locations of the headlight assemblies.
A more recent effort to achieve consistency in the aesthetic look of the front end assembly involves modular construction. Such modular construction involves, for instance, subassembly of front end components (e.g., bumper covers, headlight assemblies, grilles and/or other components) which can then be assembled to the vehicle body in one operation. Even more, modular construction consolidates conventionally-designed front end components in an off-line operation and commonly yields improved consistency in gap widths, improved flushness and craftsmanship, and ultimately greater customer satisfaction. In addition, modular construction of subassemblies allows for more room at the end assembly facility and helps sequence complicated combinations of front end components thereby reducing overall complexity and higher cost facilities such as end assembly plants.
Despite these advantages over conventional vehicle front end design and construction/assembly, modular construction typically requires more resources, in-plant floor space, and special handling tooling, and creates ancillary costs, such as, shipping, commercial markup, additional labor, weight, and more when compared to conventional vehicle front end designs and assembly. Often the costs and/or other facility requirements alone can eliminate the possibility for modular construction. This can be the case even when improved craftsmanship and attributes such as aggressive appearance and uncommon or previously-unobtainable styling improvements are desired to allow new designs to be competitive in the marketplace.
Accordingly, a need exists for a different approach to vehicle front end assembly methods. Any such method(s) should be applicable to any vehicle, car or truck, and any vehicle body construction (e.g., unibody, body-on-frame, etc.), and should strive to enable superior craftsmanship, advanced and aggressive appearance and uncommon or previously-unobtainable styling improvements, ease of assembly, reduction of installation time and number of attachments, localized relationships of front end components and subassemblies to adjacent systems, components, and subassemblies and/or improved customer satisfaction all without the limitations associated with conventional vehicle front end design and construction or modular design.
Such improvements in vehicle front end assembly methods necessitate a further need for complimentary improvements in vehicle front end component designs and subassemblies of such components. Individual front end components and/or subassemblies should incorporate combinations of hands-free, anti-rotation, sliding or slide-capable, and other assembly-aiding attributes which would not be required for conventional and/or modular vehicle assembly. Such attributes should be integral in the component designs in order to reduce or avoid costly assembly tooling and should allow for improved craftsmanship and elements such as aggressive appearance and uncommon or previously-unobtainable styling improvements.